Like a lot of the other commenters have mentioned, you'll probably want 2-3 coats for the weather:

- a long down puffy coat for very cold days

- a waterproof jacket that you can wear a sweater under when it's cooler/wet but not cold enough for the big coat (think 40 - 70 F)

- and optionally, what I call a "fashion coat", or a wool coat that is warm but the primary value is "looks pretty" (good for dry winter weather that isn't too cold)

For the first, I would recommend Land's End. Good quality, lasts a long time, and very warm. On a good sale you can get a coat there for around 100 dollars, which is by far the cheapest you'll find outside of secondhand. You'll probably want this coat to be around knee length. That being said, you can definitely get lucky on secondhand stores.

The second coat is because the Northeast is wet, and there will be plenty of days that won't be cold enough for the heavy coat but will still be clammy and cool. I usually wear a (mostly) waterproof jacket with a sweater layered underneath. If you don't already have a jacket that works for this, mine is an Athleta knee length rain jacket and it's been perfect. Bought it a year and half ago and I've worn it for weeks on end and it still looks good.

The third coat you don't really need, but most people enjoy having a coat that isn't a big puffy jacket because it looks prettier. You probably won't use this coat until next winter, so once you move, thrift stores are a great place to find options. If you're shopping secondhand, you'll want something that's at least 30-40% wool for warmth.